Movable mast support



June27,1944. y E H RAN'SON 2,352,565

MOVABLE MAST SUPPORT Filed Dec. l0, 1942' ATTORNEY Patented June 27, 1944 UNITED STAT MovABLn Mas'r :surnom` Edward Ranson, New Haven, Conn. y Application December 10, 1942; Serial No. 46S-,483i

s ciaims. (o1. 2st-99) This invention relatesto a movable mast support. The mast contemplated is an antenna mast, ag mast or the like. An object of the inventiony is to provideV a device that will support a mast in plural positions and hold it Vrigidly in some of' such positions.

' Another object is to `provide such a device that will be simple in its construction, readily assembled andl installed, and if used with an kantenna mast may be insulated from its mounting.

f- With these ends in view, this invention consists in the movable mast support, having certain d etails of construction and combinations of parts,

as will be hereinafter described and from which a.

other objects of the invention will become apparent; Referring to the drawing, in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several gures:

Figure 1 is a view'of this improved device with `an antenna `mast associated therewith and Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2: and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken generally .uponline 6-6 of Figure 2.

The invention is illustrated as being associated with an antenna mast and mechanism whereby the entire device is supported on a suitable base and insulated therefrom.

The numeral I0 indicates the body of the device which is formed with a slot I I, that extends through the top, front and back thereof, thereby to form a pair of spaced opposed walls or cheeks I2. The lower ends of the Walls are beveled at I3, and terminate above the bottom of the body I0.

In the cheeks of the body, upon the opposite sides of the slot Il, are formed slots I4 and I5 which open through the cheeks or walls I2. In the slot I4 is a locking screw pivotally mounted upon a pin Il that passes through the head I6 thereof. On the shank I8 of this screw is a Wing nut I9.

Thev latch member 22 having a slot 23 at one end is pivotally conected with the body I0 by the pin 2l that passes through the integral lug 20 within the slot I5. The under face 24 of this latch is aring, preferably with a slightly less angle to the vertical than the cheeks.

The mast member 35 hasfa head V portion 25 that in cross section, as shown, is substantially the same shape and size as the body I0, With a depending tongue 26 thereon of substantially the same Width as thevslot II. A lip 21 is at the lower end of this tongue, and with the latter is received in slot I I and is engaged by the beveled face 24 of thek latch. This mast member is p'ivotally connected with the body I0 by a pin lower end of" the 28. The width and thickness of the tongue 26 (engaging against the inner walls -o the cheeks upon opposite side 'of the slot II) of the body member is such as to provide a rigid structure that will resist anyk tendency to torque.

The antenna mast 29 is screwed into the threaded hole 30 in theA head portion 25 of the mast member 35, and is thus rigidly connected therewith. As so mounted the mast member may be moved upon the pin 28 to any position within the limits of an arc of One extreme position is shown by vfull lines and vthe other by broken lines in Figure 1. When in the -full line position the inner face of the latch 22 contacts the walls I2, and the under face 24 engagesA the aring face 36 on the locking lip 21, whichl projects outwardly under the latch.' Pressure bythe latch being held in such position bythe locking screw, the shank of Which projectsy through the slot 23, upon the lip draws the underside of the tongue 26 against the body IU, and secures the parts', rigidly together.l The body I0 at 3lr and the tongue 25l at 38 arel rounded to permit relative movement.

Other means for securing the parts together may be used in this invention equally as well as the mechanism'herein shown. By swinging the latch 22 to its open position the mast member 35 may be moved upon the pin 28 to a different position relative to the body member I0. In one such position the mast 29, illustrated by broken lines, is substantially 90 from the full line position illustrated in Figure 1. Thus the movable mast may be shifted from one position to another with the minimum of inconvenience, and in both positions securely locked against inadverent or accidental movement by manually operated means that do not require the assistance of a tool or tools.

' As illustrated in Figure 1, the device is secured to a base 3| by an insulated standard 32 and held against lateral movement by a similar insulated standard 33 xed to a Wall 34 at an v angle to the base 3|. A portion of the standard 32 is threaded into the hole 39 in the body I0. Other means for securing the body means may be used equally as well as the means herein shown.

This device is, among other uses, adapted for Van antenna mast of seacraft and particularly when the latter may pass under a low structure, such as a bridge, mooring shed or the like, and the antenna projects so far above the deck of the seacraft as to form an obstruction to its free passage. Under such circumstances the posi- .f tion of the antenna mast may be shifted so that a beveled face adjacent to their lower ends, a

mast head pivoted to the body and formed to body formed with a pair of spaced cheeks, a mast head pivoted to the body and formed to support a mast and having a tongue receivable in the space between the cheeks, a lip carried by the tongue, a latch movably connected to the body and in one position of the mast supporting head is adjacent to the bottom of the tongue and thus permit a limited movement of the mast from one of its extreme positions and engageable with the lip of the tongue in a second position of the mast supportingY head to hold the mast in another of its positions, and means to releasably hold the latch against movement and thereby the mast supporting head.

5. A mast supporting device composed of a body, a mast supporting member pivoted to the body so as to occupy diierent positions and hav- 1 ing a tongue, a latch movably connected to the support a mast and having a tongue formed to be received in the space between the cheeks and a lip-adjacent to its lower end formed with a beveled face substantially corresponding to the said beveled faces on the cheeks, a latch movably mounted on the body and 'having a beveled face to engage the beveled face of the said lip and the beveled faces of the cheeks, and means to releasably hold the latch against movement.

2. A mast supporting device in accordance with claim l, wherein the latch has a slot and wherein the latch holding means includes a pin receivable in the said slot; and having a head disposed in an opening provided therefor in one of the cheeks, means to mount the pin head for pivotal movement, and an adjustable member on the pin engageable with in position. n

3. A mast supporting device composed of a body formed with a pair of spaced cheeks, a mast head pivoted to the body and formed to vsupport `a mast and having a tongue receivable in the space between the cheeks, a lip carried by! the tongue, a latch movably connected to the the latch to hom the latter body and engageable in one position of the mast i Asupporting head with the lip to hold theV mast 4. A mast supporting device composed of Ya body and extending across the tongue in all positions of the latter and adjacent to the bottom of said member to hold the mast against movement in one direction when the mast is in a substantially horizontal position, and means on the tongue engageable with the latch to hold the mast Inra substantially vertical position.

6. A mast supporting device in accordance Awith claim 5 wherein the body has a pair vof. cheeks between which the tongueis movable and where-A in the latch engages portions of the sides of the cheeks when the latch is in latched position.

7. A mast supporting device composed of 'a body, a mast supporting member, a latch, means to pivotally connect the mast supporting member to the body including a tongue having a projection adjacent one end thereof, said latch engag ing the projection to hold the mast supporting member thereby to hold the mast in its substantially vertical position, and is adjacent to the Vbottom of the tongue and thus limits themovement of the mast in one direction when the mast is in its substantially horizontal position. f 8. A mast supporting device, composed ,of a body having cheeks with bevelled portions adja'- cent their lower ends, a mast supporting member inpart between said cheeks, means to pvotally connect the supporting member .to 4the bodyso as to dispose the mast in one position substantially vertically and in a second position' substantially horizontally, and'means, consisting in part of a latch, having a bevelled portion which also engages the bevelled portion of the cheeks to releasably hold the mast member withA the mast in one of said two positions and limiting its movement in one direction when in the other. of said positions. y EDWARD H. RANVSON. 

